My C900 is home now

[rpiereck]

Peva, I'm fairly sure mine is held with Phillips... I'll take a picture.

[drwatson32]

That wikipedia article was an interesting read, Peva. The USA seems to be behind in a few ways... I was in the U.K. last summer and got CONSTANT strange looks when I had a Visa card that had to slide through a magnetic reader. Similarly, I guess, philips drivers are the most commonly found screw driver to be found in our stores. This is the first I've heard of Pozidriv and Supadriv (I love that name lol)

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I've found that my 84 has philips (ahem, or whatever, they are compatible anyways) screws in several places where my 88 has torx screws.

The last time I changed an air filter in an 8v, I do remember the procedure being hilariously involved, for what it is. : P

[rpiereck]

Actually I'll retract my comment. I checked my cars and it's Torx. But I know where I saw allen bolts on that same location: one of the local mechanics has a trailer in his yard with a few engines, including a SAAB 8v engine, with all the acillaries. I saw the allen bolts on that engine's air filter box.

[euromobile900]

Well well, Paul... I never knew so much about screws, though I had always wondered what those "lines" on the heads of certain screws were! Thanks for the lesson! It seems that, in the USA (at least in the woodworking and home-improvement world), most are Pozi now too. I'd heard of Pozi screws for ski bindings, but I thought it was some special sport thing until you set me straight. And yeah, the c900 seems to interchange torx, allen, and pozidriv screws for some applications. Some years have some kinds, other years have other kinds. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it sometimes!

[peva]

The biggest advantage of Pozi over Phillips in my view, apart from the fact they don't 'cam out', is that the screw will stay fixed on the end of the driver so allowing you to only use one hand. The pozi screw head should be a very precise fit on the driver. This assumes that the driver is not worn and they won't. Once I get to this point I throw the driver away. Pozis are also great with power tools for the same reason. The only drawback to pozi is that the driver must be used straight on the fastening, superdriv slightly less so. If the driver and screw are at an angle the driver slips out and the screw and driver are often buggered immediately.

The major reason Torx are used extensively in auto manufacture is they lend themselves to mechanisation. They stay on the end of the power driver and allow high torque settings to be used. Where space is limited and a power tool cannot be used an Allen fastening is often used instead, ie Saab slave bolts.

[tunnanxwd]

And on occasion, you will find a "pointy Phillips" head.

It's called a "Reed & Prince", this is after you scratch your head .... wondering why nothing seems to fit.

[peva]

And on occasion, you will find a "pointy Phillips" head.

It's called a "Reed & Prince", this is after you scratch your head .... wondering why nothing seems to fit.

I'd never heard of "Reed & Prince", but I have now. Not sure I will ever need that information except in a game of 'Engineers Trivial Pursuit'.
There's no accounting what owners often will do to and fit on their cars when they're let loose.